On Tuesday American forces executed a defensive air strike targeting combatants in Iraq who were attempting to launch drones perceived as a threat to US and allied troops, according to the media reports. This marks the first such strike by US forces in Iraq since February.
The US Defence official said, ‘Tonight, US forces in Iraq conducted a defensive air strike in Babylon province targeting combatants attempting to launch one-way attack uncrewed aerial systems’.
He said that the Central Command evaluated that the drones posed a threat to US and coalition forces. The Defence official further added, ‘We maintain the right to self-defence and will not hesitate to take appropriate action’.
According to the media reports, ‘The strike resulted in at least four fatalities. The Hashed al-Shaabi, an alliance of pro-Iran former paramilitary groups now integrated into Iraq’s security forces, mentioned missile strikes at a base in Babylon but did not speak about any attempt to launch drones’.
Their statement said that available information suggests that two patrols were targeted with missiles fired from drones. An official of the alliance said that four people were killed and others were critically wounded in blasts that hit a base belonging to the Hashed al-Shaabi.
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